In 2016, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said during an MSNBC town hall that there should be “some form of punishment” for women who chose to abort their unborn children.
His comments erupted a firestorm of controversy among both pro-abortion and pro-life advocates, prompting a rapid backtrack. March For Life President Jeanne Mancini said Trump’s comments were “out of touch” and that “no pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion,” while National Right to Life released an equally critical statement.
Though Trump quickly softened his position, some Republicans and conservative activists, increasingly emboldened by the end of Roe v. Wade and the rise of so-called “self-managed” abortions, are looking to criminalize abortion for anyone involved — including the woman. 
They believe that criminalizing abortion will be an effective deterrent to the onslaught of illegal abortion pills being mailed across the country into states where medication abortion is supposed to be illegal. And despite some efforts by a few Republican attorneys general to target those sending abortion pills across the country, abortion pill activists continue to receive glowing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/health/a-day-with-one-abortion-pill-prescriber.html">profiles</a> in legacy outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian.
While this position is still a minority among elected Republicans, it is gaining increasing national attention from left-leaning media outlets, who portray those who support criminalization as extreme. Advocates of criminalization often clash with traditional pro-life groups, who say that criminalization will drive more women to underground abortions and lead them to stop turning to crisis pregnancy centers for help.
This year, the debate has played out across the country — from North Dakota to Georgia, from Texas to Missouri — where Republican lawmakers have proposed &#8220;equal protection&#8221; bills that would criminalize abortion. According to the Foundation to Abolish Abortion, 16 criminalization bills have been introduced across 14 states so far this year, with support from 122 Republican lawmakers. 
Those bills received four committee hearings, three committee votes, and one floor vote.
In February, a North Dakota proposal that would have expanded the current homicide law to encompass anyone who ends the life of an unborn child was voted down on the Republican-dominated House floor. The bill, <a href="https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-0415-05000.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 1373</a>, would have amended the definition of “human being” in the homicide code to include an “individual living human child before birth from the beginning of biological development at the moment of fertilization upon the fusion of a human spermatozoon with a human ovum.” 
As could be expected, <a href="https://www.weareplannedparenthoodaction.org/a/reject-hb-1373" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Planned Parenthood</a> and the <a href="https://www.aclund.org/en/legislation/house-bill-1373" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACLU</a> vigorously lobbied against the bill. But it also divided pro-life groups. 
During a committee hearing, Republican Rep. Lori Van Winkle, the author of the legislation, <a href="https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/testimony/HHUMSER-1373-20250205-35286-F-VANWINKLE_LORI.pdf">said</a> that it would have made it clear in North Dakota law that unborn children are human and would “close a loophole that has allowed murder of innocent lives to continue in this state at will and on demand by any woman who desires to take a pill and kill her preborn child.”
Ultimately, the bill failed as the House Human Services Committee gave the legislation an 11-1 do not pass recommendation, and the full House voted 77-16 against advancing the proposal. 
That came after an organization called North Dakota Can circulated a letter signed by a variety of conservative leaders. Amber Vibeto, the executive director of North Dakota Can, told The Daily Wire that the legislation was needed to crack down on the dramatic increase in so-called “self-managed abortions.”
“Abortion remains legal in all 50 states because even in pro-life states, pro-life legislation carves out special legal immunity for women to self-induce their own abortions,” she said. “And so women are self-inducing their own abortions and they have complete legal freedom to do so. And so there are no abortion bans in the United States.” 
Vibeto said that the intent was not just to round up women and put them in prison, but to extend protections to the unborn. 
“We just need to include the preborn in the homicide laws that we already have on the books. We just believe that the same laws that protect you and me from murder and homicide should protect the preborn as well,” she said. “Our constitution demands equal protection under the law to all persons, and it doesn’t have a qualifier that says ‘well, unless you live in a culture of lies that makes you a victim.’” 
On the other side, a number of pro-life groups opposed the bill, saying that it would have done more harm than good. Both the North Dakota Catholic Conference and the North Dakota Family Alliance gave testimony urging lawmakers not to support the bill.
Mark Jorritsma, the executive director of the North Dakota Family Alliance, told The Daily Wire that while he believed the bill was “well-intentioned,&#8221; it was “not the right way to end abortion” in North Dakota. 
“Fundamentally, you&#8217;re punishing the wrong person,” he said. “We do claim and agree that the mother is the second victim here. There is often undo pressure put on her, she’s in a state of mind where she’s not capable of making the right decisions given fear, or whatever else she may be dealing with.” 
Jorritsma also said he had practical problems with the bill, saying that it would have led to a dramatic increase in prison population that wouldn’t be possible to maintain. 
“Regardless of your ethical, moral, religious, philosophical bent on the issue, it’s just untenable. You cannot do it even if you wanted to,” he said. “You’re going to have law enforcement going out and arresting 18-year-old girls instead of stopping drunk drivers.”
David Tamisiea, the executive director of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, told The Daily Wire that he believed that pro-life lawmakers should focus on building a culture of life in the state instead of making women felons.
“Rather than going after women, supporting women in difficult circumstances so that abortion becomes unthinkable to them,” he said. 
He also said that HB 1373 would have been immediately struck down because of a recent North Dakota Supreme Court decision that ruled that women have a “fundamental right” to abortion in certain circumstances. 
A similar debate played out in Georgia, where lawmakers considered a similar bill, <a href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 441.</a> That fight pitted groups like the Georgia Life Alliance against Georgia Right to Life. 
The legislation, known as the Georgia Prenatal Equal Protection Act, was introduced by Rep. Emory Dunahoo. The proposal would have added protections for unborn babies under state homicide laws.
“Tens of thousands of babies, made in the image of God, continue to be murdered in our state every year, all within the bounds of the current law. That must be changed,”  Dunahoo <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/03/26/bill-that-criminalizes-abortion-undermines-ivf-access-gets-georgia-house-panel-hearing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a March hearing on his legislation. 
His proposal was supported by Georgia Right to Life, a Christian organization that doesn’t support any exceptions for abortion. 
“Our homicide code in Georgia does not criminalize people, it criminalizes an act. Just as homicide is an act that is born out under a criminal law, abortion being murder should carry that same punishment,&#8221; Georgia Right to Life Executive Director Zemmie Fleck told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Our homicide code should apply to both of those because, for Georgia Right to Life, we recognize that a preborn child is a person at its very earliest beginnings, whether that be in the petri dish or whether that is natural conception.” 
Fleck added that she understood the enormous impact of abortion on American culture, noting that an estimated 65 million babies have been aborted since 1973.
“Our hearts go out, our prayers go out to men and women who have been impacted by this abortion issue. The numbers are just staggering,&#8221; she said. “This has impacted our society to incredible levels.” 
On the other side, the Georgia Life Alliance, which describes itself as the largest pro-life group in the state, sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to oppose the legislation. In their letter, they said that they had &#8220;grave concerns with the impact, consequences, and outcomes of the bill which conflicts with our organizational mission.&#8221;
These concerns included their belief that deterring abortion &#8220;requires compassionate support, not punitive measures,&#8221; that the bill could deter women from seeking medical care, and that criminalizing abortion could lead to more &#8220;unregulated abortions.&#8221;
&#8220;Regardless of one&#8217;s beliefs on access to abortion, women and girls should not be further traumatized from their abortion by the fear of criminal prosecution,&#8221; the group wrote. &#8220;We can love them both by pursuing ways to help women and children in desperate situations and take care not to pass laws that unintentionally encourage their further harm and additional trauma to women which is incentivized by HB 441.&#8221;
Ultimately, the bill did not get a committee vote. But it could be brought up again by the chair at a later time. 
Similar battles have played out this year in states like Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma. In Oklahoma, delegates to the state&#8217;s Republican Party convention recently <a href="https://x.com/AbolishAbortOK/status/1918792596433858560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1918792596433858560%7Ctwgr%5Eb3b17918d52c0073a6ab35b286f770b4392e9657%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffaa.life%2Farticles%2Foklahoma-christians-hold-enemies-of-equal-protection-accountable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to censor Republican lawmakers who opposed a proposal criminalizing abortion in the state. 
Most national pro-life organizations oppose bills that would criminalize abortion, arguing that they harm the cause. In the lead up to the overturning of Roe, a coalition of top pro-life groups sent an <a href="https://www.nrlc.org/uploads/communications/051222coalitionlettertostates.pdf">open letter</a> to state legislatures making clear their opposition to criminalizing abortion. 
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&#8220;Women are victims of abortion and require our compassion and support as well as ready access to counseling and social services in the days, weeks, months, and years following an abortion,&#8221; the leaders wrote in the letter. &#8220;As national and state pro-life organizations, representing tens of millions of pro-life men, women, and children across the country, let us be clear: We state unequivocally that we do not support any measure seeking to criminalize or punish women and we stand firmly opposed to include such penalties in legislation.&#8221;
Signatories included the leaders of National Right to Life, Americans United for Life, March for Life Action, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, and many more.
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Kelsey Pritchard, the political affairs communication director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, pointed out that none of the criminalization bills have been approved affirmatively by any GOP-led committees.
“SBA Pro-Life America does not support legislation to criminalize women and qualify them for the death penalty,&#8221; she said. &#8220;No state pro-life law criminalizes women, and that’s not changing as not a single one of these bills has passed out of committee.&#8221;
Pritchard also pointed to a <a href="https://lozierinstitute.org/study-many-women-who-had-abortions-felt-pressured-by-others/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> that said over 60% of women who had abortions reported experiencing some form of pressure or coercion. 
“In a world where a predatory abortion industry embeds lies about the humanity of unborn children into our culture and enables abortion coercion, women with unplanned pregnancies need more support,&#8221; she said.
One prominent national leader who has changed her perspective on the issue is Abby Johnson. A former Planned Parenthood employee, Johnson runs And Then There Were None, an organization that supports people who want to leave the abortion industry, and ProLove Ministries, a group that aids expectant moms in crisis pregnancies.
She told The Daily Wire that she is skeptical of the position that women are victims of abortion, saying that she often sees women boasting and laughing about ending the life of their unborn child outside of abortion facilities.
“Holding people accountable for their actions is the right thing to do. It&#8217;s the conservative thing to do. It&#8217;s the lawful thing to do. It’s the biblical thing to do,&#8221; she said. 
She believes that criminalizing abortion would deter women from seeking to terminate their pregnancies. Personally, she said that she would not have had two abortions or worked for Planned Parenthood if she had faced the threat of criminalization.
“What is actually going to effectively reduce the number of abortions?” she said. “It&#8217;s not the regulation. It’s not going after the abortion doctors. It’s going after the people who are ordering, who are taking the pills, who are flushing the babies down the toilet, it&#8217;s going after the consumer.”
Johnson said that while she disagrees with the approach many of her national pro-life counterparts have taken, she is still able to work well with them on specific issues and causes. Pro-life leaders in North Dakota who opposed the criminalizing bill there echoed that sentiment.
Mark Jorritsma of the North Dakota Family Alliance told The Daily Wire that he would be “more than happy” to talk to the other side, adding that “they’re on our side, they are not the enemy.&#8221;

Reproductive Rights Advocates Protest At The Supreme Court On Second Anniversary Of Dobbs Decision

‘It’s Just Untenable’: Inside the Conservative Debate On Criminalizing Abortion

Abortion

Abortion Drug

Georgia

North Dakota

Pro-Life Movement

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Representative Rick Allen (R-GA) introduced the Employee Rights Act (ERA) of 2025 on Thursday, seeking to reform labor unions and support workers&#8217; rights. The legislation, Allen claims, will provide privacy for unionized workers, allow workers to opt out of union representation, and harmonize existing labor laws.
Allen collaborated with F. Vincent Vernuccio – the president and co-founder of labor advocacy group Institute for the American Worker (I4AW) – to write an <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/faith-freedom-self-reliance/3454318/now-is-the-time-to-empower-workers-and-improve-unions/">op-ed</a> in the Washington Examiner explaining his bill.
Referencing the One Big Beautiful Bill, Allen said, &#8220;While the forthcoming tax cuts and spending reforms will deliver even more results, Congress also needs to modernize federal law to empower workers and improve labor unions to deliver a 21st-century economy that benefits the working class.&#8221;
Among other outcomes, the bill will allow unionized workers to choose what personal information their union can access, decide whether they are represented by a union in right-to-work states, and have the choice to opt-in to non-union-related spending.
Allen said, &#8220;It also enables workers to opt in to union political spending on an annual basis, undoing the current system in which workers are automatically forced to fund political activities they may personally oppose.&#8221;
&#8220;Perhaps most importantly, the Employee Rights Act eliminates loopholes that can distract unions from faithfully representing workers’ needs and wishes,&#8221; Allen said. &#8220;It prohibits DEI provisions in collective bargaining agreements, ensuring all workers are treated equally. It ends the judicially created exemption for union-related violence and extortion, so that such illegal acts are treated appropriately under federal law.&#8221;
The ERA hopes to reform the National Labor Relations Board, which, in recent years, is <a href="https://i4aw.org/news/employers-have-the-right-to-inform-their-workers-about-the-impact-of-unionization/">reported</a> to have pursued overreaching regulations that may harm both unionized and non-unionized laborers.
Allen also hopes to use the bill to adjust the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which gives citizens the right to organize trade unions and engage in collective bargaining.
&#8220;The Employee Rights Act has long enjoyed strong support among Republicans in both the House and Senate, to say nothing of the overwhelming majority of Americans,&#8221; Allen said.
Allen concluded by saying, &#8220;With the GOP holding Congress and the White House, it deserves consideration as soon as possible. President Donald Trump is already delivering for working Americans. Truly empowering workers and improving unions will help them rise and thrive for future generations.&#8221;

Men in Hardhats

Georgia Rep Introduces Bill To ‘Empower Workers’ Against Unions

Congress

Economy

Labor Unions

Politics

Editor’s note: This is the sixth and final installment of a six-part series by pollster Brent Buchanan on the politics of the American South. In the last installment, Buchanan took a close look at Georgia to tell the story of the South’s political crossroads. Today, he offers suggestions for how Republicans can achieve political victory in the South.
We hope you enjoy.
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It’s easy to oversimplify American politics. But when it comes to our collective understanding of regionality, it really is as simple as North, East, South, and West.
Engrained in the minds across generations, defined by mighty rivers and a brutal Civil War, the South — more than any other region — is more politically consequential than it ever has been. For most of modern American history, the “Solid South” was a real thing that helped Democrats win the White House and the presidency.
Today, it is a myth.
The real story of America’s South, as you’ve been reading in this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/brent-buchanan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six-part series</a>, is the story of an emerging patchwork of political intricacies and growing political dominance. Our exclusive analysis of the South shows 10 distinct regions transcending state lines and traditional constructs, showing vulnerabilities and opportunities for both parties – but more for Republicans — if they can capitalize before Democrats find a rudder and sales pitch.
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State lines determine the borders for how we’ll count votes, but voters and their stances on key issues of the day don’t adhere to state lines. How well each party understands and adapts to the South’s regional realities will determine the balance of power for the 2026 midterm elections and the rest of Donald Trump’s presidency.
To culminate this deep analysis of aggregated demographic variables, survey responses, and trends in everything from education, income, gender, age, and partisanship, we offer four things Republicans should focus on to achieve political victory in the South.
<h3>Base Fortress Regions With GOP Ceilings</h3>
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Pollsters and political operatives felt the tremors of America’s massive political realignment before most of the mainstream media caught on, but by now it’s common knowledge that Trump’s emergence as the central figure of political life was the catalyst of a growing Diploma Divide.
But Trump reflects an electorate whose political preferences began changing even before he came down that golden escalator.
While this realignment has happened nationally, it’s most prominent and evident in the South. For the Republican Party, three main regions anchor its new political advantage. What we’ve dubbed Dixieland, Big Sky South, and the Trumpian Highlands serve as base fortresses from diploma-divide-driven gains from Democrats — but offer little to no room for growth. In 2024, Trump’s ballot shares were 71% in Dixieland, 70% in the Big Sky South, and 75% in the Trumpian Highlands.
“This is about as good as it’s going to get for the GOP in these New South buttresses,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead for this project. “These three strongholds are reliable for Republicans, but it’s unreasonable to expect they can deliver more than they already have.”
So what? As we’ve seen in previous cycles, it can be easy to try and offset lagging performance in harder-to-get voter groups by surging turnout in reliable regions like these. But the GOP’s focus should be on keeping turnout and engagement at these levels — which won’t be easy as these areas aren’t growing as much as other Southern regions less friendly to Republicans. There’s more peril in the ceilings of these fortresses if voters are unenthused and stay home.
<h3>Wild Cards &amp; Volatility: Regions That Could Flip</h3>
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If you’ve followed this series, you know the only states we called out as standalone fixtures in the still uncertain political future of the South were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hold-what-the-peach-states-political-patchworks-mean-for-2026?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=What+The+Peach+State%E2%80%99s+Political+Patchworks+Mean+For+2026%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bbq-politics-how-north-carolinas-sauce-divide-mirrors-voting-behavior?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BBQ+Politics%3F+How+North+Carolina%E2%80%99s+Sauce+Divide+Mirrors+Its+Voting+Behavior%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina.</a> Beyond the regions we’ve identified as the TexMex Nexus and Coastal Condo Coalition, those are the two states with the highest volatility and uncertainty heading into the midterm elections.
North Carolina’s split personality in politics is mirrored by its split choice in barbeque sauces, while Georgia’s newish designation as a swing state is defined by a seeming disappearance of the traditional Black Belt and regional creep from the stronghold of the Trumpian Highlands. Both states are incredibly consequential to party control in Washington — but they’re not the only volatile areas we’re watching.
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First, let’s look at the Coastal Condo Coalition, centered in Florida&#8217;s densely urbanized southern tip. It is one of the most demographically and economically unique regions in the South. Traditionally a Democratic stronghold (Democrats lead 45% to 32% in registration), this region has seen notable Republican gains since 2016, culminating in a 6.6% swing toward the GOP in 2024. This is its best performance in years, nearly flipping the partisan split to 49-51.
Then, let’s look at the TexMex Nexus. This region spans heavily Hispanic areas along the Texas border, and in scattered urban centers, it has been one of the most politically dynamic zones in our Southern analysis. After holding steady at a near 50-50 partisan split in 2012, this region took a sharp left turn in 2016, moving 10 points toward the Democrats — double the next largest leftward shift in the South. That trend continued into 2020 with another 4-point Democratic gain, making it seem like a prime target for Democrats as their registration advantage grew to 53% over the GOP’s 39%.
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But 2024 brought a dramatic reversal, as the Tex-Mex Nexus saw the second-largest rightward swing of any region, moving 9 points toward Republicans and ending at a D+5 margin — a five-point improvement for the GOP compared to 2016. This shift was powered by significant Republican gains among Latino voters, particularly men, and by a focus on economic and border issues that resonated locally.
So what? With popular Governor Brian Kemp out of contention for the Georgia Senate race, the state remains in flux alongside its northern swing state counterpart, North Carolina. Factor in the fact that neither the Coastal Condo Coalition nor the TexMex Nexus is on lock for the GOP, and you have the four biggest wild cards in the South.
<h3>Stagnation &amp; Gridlock in the “Sweet” Burbs and Faux South</h3>
So, now we’ve got the Republican strongholds identified and the wild cards laid out — but that’s only half the picture. Vast swaths of the South are in political gridlock where even the sheer force of personality from someone like Trump has managed to crack — or break. These are the regions we’ve labeled the Sweet Tea Suburbs and the Faux South. While old voting patterns seem to be fading, these regions remain “stuck zones,” political wastelands where entrenchment and razor-thin margins offer no clear advantage to either party.
“These are not battlegrounds in the traditional sense,” Valdiviez says. “Rather they are stagnant bogs who have more impact on their urban cores and outlying mixing zones of other regions and therefore should be pursued nice-to-have incremental gains rather than outright winnable. The catch is these areas are political fronts that if left unattended could wind up being potential wild cards.”
So what? With so much talk of massive realignments and sweeping partisan shifts, both in strongholds and wild cards, these doldrums are different, and should be approached differently. The GOP’s only hope is to nibble around the edges of these regions with dynamic quality candidates and a message more akin to hometowns than the machinations of Washington, D.C.
<h3>Growth Regions: The GOP’s Next Frontier</h3>
Now for the fun part: the opportunities for Republicans in the South. If you’ve been following along so far, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster to say the least, but here are the three regions we think will comprise the next frontier for Republicans.
The Soulful South stands out among them, but not because of the 58% Republican ballot share or because Georgia’s Black Belt is now less visible in our regional analysis. Rather, the Soulful South stands out because it has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-end-of-democratic-assumptions-how-minority-voters-are-reshaping-southern-politics?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+End+of+Democratic+Assumptions%3A+How+Minority+Voters+Are+Reshaping+Southern+Politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trending rightward</a> since 2012.
The fact that Democrats take these voters for granted — combined with the connection forged by Trump’s candidacy — has made the Soulful South a budding ground of opportunity for Republicans going forward. Overconfidence here is perilous, but with Democrats without a message or a messenger that resonates with this predominantly black region, our analysis shows more to gain for Republicans than to lose. They should keep their foot on the gas here.
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Our proprietary naming conventions and analysis also identify the Republican Resettlers and Big Hat Bloc regions as prime opportunities. The Republican Resettlers region, fueled by an influx of newcomers from liberal states seeking communities with conservative governance (you heard that right), has shown some of the most consistent rightward movement in the South, swinging eight points further right by 2024 to reach an R+17 margin. As migration trends continue, especially along the Georgia and Florida coasts, this bloc is poised to expand its influence and deliver reliable support for Republican candidates.
Similarly, the Big Hat Bloc, which experienced setbacks during the early Trump years, has rebounded with record Republican margins in 2024. This region’s mix of cultural conservatism and economic focus makes it fertile ground for further Republican consolidation, especially if the party can maintain strong turnout and continue to address local priorities — much like those strongholds we addressed earlier.
With both regions trending right and absorbing new, like-minded residents, the GOP’s prospects for midterm gains are strong, provided they stay focused on localized outreach and avoid complacency in data, spending, and messaging.
So what? This is where Republicans should surge their efforts with non-college educated, non-white voters, and even those <a href="https://cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Cygnal-Election-2024-Focus-Group_Analysis.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ticked-off, young, working class, and diverse</a> voters within these regions. These are new constituencies for the GOP, and now is the time to further build out these inroads and lock in the gains for the post-Trump era.
<h3>Conclusion: The States and Their Shapes</h3>
As Americans, we know the regionality of our nation inherently, and we understand that state lines can be pesky and a bit funny. We also know those lines serve a multitude of purposes, chief among them governance and counting votes. With that in mind, it only makes sense to examine the South from our <a href="https://www.cygn.al/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/10-Regions-of-the-American-South-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">distinct regional perspective, noting</a> that Texas and Florida alone are projected to gain eight new congressional seats by 2030, with other Southern states like Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina also on the rise.
This shift comes at the expense of traditional blue state strongholds in the Midwest, fundamentally redrawing the map of political opportunity in America. The parties that best understand these new Southern realities — where regional identities like we’ve defined here, not state lines, drive turnout and loyalty — will tip the upper hand for 2026 and the next decade.
But here’s the catch: like the Democrats before them, Republicans can’t afford to treat the South as a monolith or rely on pre-Trump playbooks.
The story of the South today is one of ceilings, wild cards, gridlock, and growth. The lesson for Republican campaigns, operatives, and strategists is as clear as it is urgent: the old assumptions are dead, and the new map of power is regional, dynamic, and deeply local. The party that can surge turnout in fortress regions, lock in gains in growth zones, nibble at the edges of gridlocked suburbs, and win the battle for the wild cards will be the party that defines the next era of American politics.

Vice President JD Vance Tours Nucor Steel Berkeley In South Carolina

The South’s Next Act: Wild Cards In 2026 And Beyond 

2026 Midterms

Elections

North Carolina

Republican Party

Southern States

The mother of a brain-dead woman who is 21-weeks pregnant is upset that her daughter is being kept alive to save the unborn child, a baby boy.
April Newkirk has told the press that her 30-year-old daughter, Adriana Smith, is being kept alive by ventilators, blaming Georgia&#8217;s pro-life law, which bans abortion of unborn babies after six weeks gestation, with some exceptions.
Newkirk says doctors told her she&#8217;s not allowed to take her daughter off the ventilators, so they can protect and save her grandson.
“It should have been left up to the family,” Newkirk said, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-forced-keep-brain-dead-pregnant-woman-alive-rcna207002?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&amp;taid=68264b5179b66e000101d84f&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC News. “I’m not saying that we would have chose to terminate her pregnancy, but what I’m saying is, we should have had a choice.&#8221;
It&#8217;s not entirely clear if Georgia&#8217;s abortion law is the reason Smith is being kept alive.
A spokesman for Emory Healthcare, the healthcare system overseeing Smith&#8217;s care, said they use &#8220;consensus from clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia’s abortion laws and all other applicable laws.”
“Our top priorities continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients we serve,” the spokesperson added.
In Georgia, an unborn child cannot be killed via abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, except in rare cases, like the health of the mother, rape, incest, or some fetal abnormalities.
Back in February, when Smith was nine-weeks pregnant with her second child, she began feeling unwell and suffering severe headaches. She went to a nearby hospital and was given medication. The following day, however, Smith&#8217;s boyfriend says the 30-year-old was gasping for air and making gargling noises when she woke up.
Smith was eventually transferred to Emory University Hospital, and a CT scan showed multiple blood clots in her brain, NBC News noted.
Ventilators have been keeping Smith breathing for months, Newkirk said. “It’s torture for me,” she said. “I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there.”
Newkirk added that her family is having to incur costs to keep Smith on life-support.
Related: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/abortion-panic-misinformation-fear-after-trumps-victory/id1576594336?i=1000677183873" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abortion Panic: Misinformation &amp; Fear After Trump’s Victory</a>

Pregnant African American woman holding ultrasound printout

Controversy Rages As Brain-Dead Woman Kept Alive To Save Unborn Child

Social Issues

U.S.

Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment of a six-part series by pollster Brent Buchanan on the politics of the American South. Last week, Buchanan took a close look at North Carolina. Today, he dives into another swing state — Georgia — to tell the story of the South&#8217;s political crossroads.
We hope you enjoy.
—
Georgia isn’t just a battleground. It’s the South’s political crossroads, where more regional identities collide than anywhere else.
While some of the regions are too small to have an outsized influence on statewide races, their presence as a mixing agent within the more prominent regions cements Georgia’s unofficial status as the capital of the South – and the ultimate test for both parties.
Our analysis of Southern politics found that Georgia contains more of the South’s distinct regions than any other state. From a wall of “Trumpian Highlands” banding the northern border of the state, to pockets of hardened “Sweet Tea Suburbs” and a sprawling “Dixieland” with vestiges of the “Soulful South,” and a surprising emergence of “Republican Resettlers” encroaching up from Florida, pundits and politicos alike have their eyes on Georgia and especially its upcoming 2026 gubernatorial and Senate races.
“Georgia as a high-profile state is nothing new to politics,” said Nicholas Valdiviez, Cygnal’s Sampling Lead for this comprehensive analysis. “But when you look at the state through the lens of our unique regional analysis, Georgia has more complex regions at play than any other state, and in the context of the 2026 midterm elections, those complexities help explain the intrigue of unseating Senator Jon Ossoff (D) and holding onto the Governor’s mansion.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-919423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map-525x576.png" alt="" width="525" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map-525x576.png 525w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map-273x300.png 273w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Analysis-Map.png 562w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /></div>
It’s true that Georgia’s status as a swing state is almost exclusively driven by the fact that a still-deeply-red state is represented by two far-Left senators. It just so happens that it’s time for Ossoff to defend his seat (and abysmal record out of step with most of even purple Georgia) against an unknown Republican challenger, now that outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp (a longtime Cygnal client) has ruled out a run to unseat Ossoff.
<h3>A Complex Political Patchwork: The Peach State Defies Simple Labels.</h3>
Speaking about a possible Kemp Senate run, nationally syndicated radio host Erick Erickson noted that many governors-turned-senators find themselves unhappy in the world’s greatest deliberative body.
And Kemp understands — perhaps better than any other elected official in Georgia — that while the state’s political map might look like a simple red versus blue situation articulating an urban-rural divide, it’s actually a mosaic of regions with overlapping and rapidly changing political identities.
Take the so-called “Black Belt,” a region with high concentrations of Black voters, which delivers reliably Democratic margins in states like Alabama and Mississippi. In Georgia, the Black Belt runs from Columbus to Macon to Augusta — where it displays fewer characteristics of the monolithic voting bloc it used to be.
Today, this region is dominated by what we’ve dubbed “Dixieland” voters. Unlike other areas in the state — especially surrounding Atlanta, which have seen high-impact demographic swings — voters in Georgia’s Black Belt region now demonstrate voting patterns more akin to Dixieland, which is just over 15% African American, than ever before.
The demographics are the same, but the sentiment has changed. Dixieland voters have the highest propensity for weekly religious services of any group at 37%, and the lowest “not religious” population at 14%, combined with one of the highest rates of any of the regions who say the country is on the right track +21, and +35 support for Trump.
DATA NOTE: When we conducted this analysis, we fully expected the well-known Black Belt to emerge as a prominent visual feature on our Georgia map — but it didn’t — and, like many of the other elements covered in this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/brent-buchanan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series</a>, it further demonstrates just how dynamic and consequential the South has become to political power in the United States. 
Two additional trends are emerging in Georgia, both influenced by neighboring states, again proving the regionality of our analysis is shaping the South’s political map.
First, in the northern part of the state, where the Trumpian Highlands extend all the way down from Tennessee until they meet those <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyond-the-swing-why-southern-suburbs-refuse-to-budge?author=Brent+Buchanan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Beyond+The+Swing%3A+Why+Southern+Suburbs+Refuse+To+Budge%C2%A0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hardened “Sweet Tea Suburbs&#8221;</a> that surround Atlanta, with another small pocket around the state line near Chattanooga. This is where speculated senate candidate and firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene hails from, and all three of the congressional districts in that area are held by Republicans. These are some of the most Republican areas in the country, with Georgia’s 14th and 9th congressional districts voting for Trump by an imposing 68-31 and 67-33 margins, respectively.
As our data below indicate, before 2016, Republicans won in the Dixieland portions of Georgia by an average of 29%. But in the Trump Era, that margin rose to 39%. Notably, even with a minor dip in 2020, Dixieland recovered quickly for the 2024 cycle, shifting 4% back to the right from 2020, and up 3% compared to 2016.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-919425" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Pre-Post-Trump-Regional-Names.png" alt="" width="515" height="177" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Pre-Post-Trump-Regional-Names.png 515w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Pre-Post-Trump-Regional-Names-300x103.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px" /></div>
Unlike Part IV of this series, where North Carolina’s divisions created a sort of mixing zone between east and west, the Trumpian Highlands of Georgia create a hard line between Atlanta’s suburbs. This makes some of the regional fluidity we see in other areas of the South less evident in Northern Georgia. Factor in those collar counties of Henry, Rockdale, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb surrounding Atlanta, and the political picture of north Georgia makes this part of the state less likely to produce surprises or statewide leaders.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-919431" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2-470x576.png" alt="" width="470" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2-470x576.png 470w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2-245x300.png 245w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Cygnal-DW-Georgia-Broader-Stateline-View-CUT-2.png 508w" sizes="(max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px" /></div>
Georgia has another political encroachment from its neighbor to the south, Florida. In our analysis, we identified “Republican Resettlers,” areas that have absorbed a significant influx of newcomers, many times from more liberal states, who are self-selecting for conservative communities. Unlike legacy Southern strongholds, Republican Resettlers’ political identity is shaped more by recent population movement and community choice than by deep historical roots. This growth in southeast Georgia, where we’ve seen Republican Resettlers’ encroachment, is mirrored in population increases in the mentioned areas from 2020 to 2022.
As Georgia remains an attractive place for many of these voters, our maps show this region, while not yet decisive, is quietly growing as conservatives migrate north along the coast toward places like Brunswick, Savannah, and even Valdosta. That’s a trend worth watching as the state’s population continues to surge.
“Nobody argues that Georgia is evolving politically, or that it’s a key state, especially with all the media attention surrounding Ossoff’s very vulnerable position,” said Valdiviez. “But what our analysis and maps show is a state that has both hardened lines of political division and zones of increasing transition. It proves that two things can be true in a marquee southern state: Georgia is prone to rigidity and it’s not immune to prevailing regional shifts.”
<h3>So What? Why The Patchwork Matters.</h3>
Georgia’s regional complexity isn’t just a curiosity for pollsters like us or casual and professional political junkies — it is a real-world challenge for campaigns and an absolute bellwether for the national parties — even if Ossoff is on the ropes for 2026. With so many overlapping and shifting identities, the Peach State forces both Democrats and Republicans to move beyond one-size-fits-all messaging.
The state’s “swing” status isn’t an accident. It’s a direct result of these dynamic, sometimes contradictory, regional trends. As flight from liberal states continues, even from other Republican states, and as the Republican Resettlers gain ground along Georgia&#8217;s coastal plains, the map will only get more complicated and more consequential.
With Kemp out of the 2026 Senate race, the race is on to determine who can unite enough of these regions to build a winning coalition. The GOP’s search for a candidate with true statewide appeal is wide open, while Democrats must defend ground in the face of a weak candidate, demographic churn, and voter fatigue. The lesson from Georgia is clear: turnout, connective messaging, and a Kemp-style understanding of local nuance are everything. Ignore the state’s patchwork at your peril.
<h3>The Battleground That Won’t Quit.</h3>
Georgia’s story is largely the South’s story.
It’s a state where no single region, candidate, or trend can guarantee victory. It’s a mix of hardened Republican strongholds, fast-growing Democratic suburbs, and emerging zones of transition, which means every election is up for grabs.
The Peach State’s political future will be decided not by national narratives or simple red-blue maps, but by the ability of campaigns to read the local landscape and adapt. In a nation increasingly defined by polarization and migration, Georgia stands as the ultimate test — and frankly, the ultimate prize for anyone hoping to shape the next era of American politics.
COMING UP NEXT: In Part VI, the final installment of our series, we’ll tie together the lessons from our analysis and offer a glimpse at what’s in store for the South and the nation as we head for the 2026 midterms. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-919429" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Full-Map-1.jpeg" alt="" width="670" height="407" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Full-Map-1.jpeg 670w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Full-Map-1-300x182.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px" /></div>
READING THE MAP: When reading our map, keep in mind that we intentionally moved beyond traditional state lines to capture the true complexity of Southern politics. Each of the ten regions was named to reflect its unique cultural, demographic, and historical identity, whether it’s the steadfast conservatism of Dixieland, the dynamic growth of the Republican Resettlers, or the inelasticity of the Sweet Tea Suburbs.
These names aren’t just for color; they’re a practical tool for understanding how voter behavior clusters in ways that state boundaries simply can’t explain. We used a rigorous, data-driven approach combining ZIP-code-level analysis, weighted demographic variables, and historical voting trends to identify and define each region. The result is a map that highlights not just where voters are, but how and why they vote the way they do, offering a more actionable and nuanced guide for anyone looking to understand or influence the South’s evolving political landscape.

Ossoff and Warnock

What The Peach State’s Political Patchworks Mean For 2026 

Brian Kemp

Jon Ossoff

On Monday, Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp announced that he will not run to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in the 2026 election.
Polls had shown Kemp, who is term-limited and cannot seek a third term as governor next year, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/ajc-poll-kemp-vs-ossoff-in-2026-dead-heat/6JCBHXBH2RELNETG33UH72QDQU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">neck-and-neck</a> if not <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/5092146-kemp-ossoff-2026-senate-race/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ahead</a> of Ossoff in a prospective match-up. But Kemp said in a post on X that he would pass on a campaign despite being pushed to enter the contest by fellow Republicans.
&#8220;Over the last few weeks, I have had many conversations with friends, supporters, and leaders across the country who encouraged me to run for the US Senate in 2026. I greatly appreciate their support and prayers for our family,&#8221; Kemp shared. &#8220;After those discussions, I have decided that being on the ballot next year is not the right decision for me and my family.&#8221;
President Donald Trump has periodically <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leave-my-family-out-of-it-georgia-governor-brian-kemp-responds-to-trump-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Kemp for matters related to the 2020 presidential election over the past several years. However, Kemp ended up <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/23/georgia-brian-kemp-donald-trump/74920067007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">endorsing</a> Trump in the 2024 election. Trump even praised Kemp as <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/trump-praises-kemp-rga-meeting-jokes-about-governor-trudeau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;fantastic&#8221;</a> back in February. Whatever their relationship may be now, Kemp said he conversed with Trump before making his announcement.
&#8220;I spoke with President Trump and Senate leadership earlier today and expressed my commitment to work alongside them to ensure we have a strong Republican nominee who can win next November, and ultimately be a conservative voice in the US Senate who will put hardworking Georgians first,&#8221; Kemp said. &#8220;I am confident we will be united in that important effort, and I look forward to electing the next generation of leaders up and down the ballot here in the Peach State who will keep our state and nation headed in the right direction in 2026 and beyond.&#8221;
Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate. They also narrowly control the House.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), a group dedicated to electing GOP members to the upper chamber, shrugged off Kemp deciding not to run against Ossoff.
&#8220;While Jon Ossoff is running to impeach President Trump, Republicans have a number of strong candidates who can build a winning coalition to add this seat to President Trump’s Senate Majority,” <a href="https://x.com/maxpcohen/status/1919462365038297109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> NRSC spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez.
Other members of the GOP who are considering a run for Senate or are seen as potential contenders include Reps. <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-considering-2026-senate-or-gubernatorial-bid/1c19f66a-ef15-4cf5-9372-11137e79b079/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marjorie Taylor Greene</a> (R-GA), <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/the-georgia-vote/us-rep-buddy-carter-teases-senate-campaign/85-022a20a4-adeb-438c-8f27-b6a74c79021c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Buddy Carter</a> (R-GA), <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/georgia-republicans-dont-rule-out-senate-bids-popular-gop-governor-remains-undecided" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rich McCormick</a> (R-GA), and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/georgia-republicans-dont-rule-out-senate-bids-popular-gop-governor-remains-undecided" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Collins</a> (R-GA), as well as Georgia Secretary of State <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/the-georgia-vote/georgia-secretary-brad-raffensperger-teases-2026-campaign/85-7e8f1370-147a-4136-9206-25ad37a5692d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brad Raffensperger</a>.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) also released a statement on Kemp neglecting to campaign for Ossoff&#8217;s Senate seat.
&#8220;Brian Kemp&#8217;s decision to not run for Senate in 2026 is yet another embarrassing Republican Senate recruitment failure as they face a building midterm backlash where every GOP candidate will be forced to answer for Trump’s harmful agenda,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/maevemcoyle/status/1919467569552994309" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> DSCC spokesperson Maeve Coyle. &#8220;Senate Republicans’ toxic agenda and recruitment failures put their majority at risk in 2026.&#8221;
Some in the political sphere have speculated that Kemp might compete for the presidency in 2028.
&#8220;I’ve never met a senator, who first was a governor, claim the senate was a good job. If anything, the former governors hate the place the most. If Kemp made one call to a former gov serving in the senate, I’m sure he was dissuaded. That said, might be worth adding Kemp to the WH ‘28 list,&#8221; journalist Chuck Todd <a href="https://x.com/chucktodd/status/1919461842486763886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X.

Gov. Brian Kemp

Georgia Gov Brian Kemp Passes On Senate Bid Against Dem Incumbent Jon Ossoff

Republicans

U.S. Senate

The Georgia dad who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/controversy-erupts-over-24-year-old-dad-who-left-kids-at-mcdonalds-during-job-interview?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Amanda+Harding&amp;title=Controversy+Erupts+Over+24-Year-Old+Dad+Who+Left+Kids+At+McDonald%E2%80%99s+During+Job+Interview&amp;category=News">went viral</a> for leaving his kids unattended at McDonald’s is in the news again. Earlier this week, people rallied around the man who claimed he left his three children at the restaurant playground to attend a job interview, raising money through a crowdfunding campaign. But now police say he &#8220;was not engaged in a job interview or application process&#8221; while his three children were left alone.
George Louis, 24, was arrested in Augusta on March 22 for deprivation of a minor after leaving the kids, ages 1, 6, and 10, alone at McDonald’s for a few hours. The Augusta Press reported that Louis had told police he was at a job interview. This caused an outpouring of support online from people who justified the man’s decision in order to improve his situation. 
Police are now saying the job interview story was untrue after they spoke to the eldest of Louis&#8217; children following the incident.
&#8220;A 10-year-old child, stated that she, her father (Chris Louis), and her two siblings had walked to McDonald’s from [an apartment complex],&#8221; the report said, per <a href="https://people.com/georgia-dad-left-kids-mcdonalds-not-job-interview-say-police-11708460">People</a>. &#8220;She further stated that her father left to deliver a backpack to [the apartment complex] and told her he would return shortly. The child also mentioned that her father frequently left them alone.&#8221;
Two witnesses said they heard Louis on the phone about 4:30 p.m. say he had to &#8220;drop something off.&#8221; This item was later stated to be a black backpack. Louis said &#8220;he lost his ID and another card and had been retracing his steps to find them,&#8221; per a <a href="https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/local/2025/04/02/augusta-father-disputed-alibi-in-child-neglect-case-spurs-fundraiser-mcdonalds-gofundme/82779661007/">statement</a> from Capt. Danny Whitehead of the Richmond County Sheriff&#8217;s Office Field Operations Division.
Law enforcement also visited the location when Louis said he applied for a job.
 “[The West Bank Inn manager] confirmed that Mr. Louis came in on March 22, 2025, and completed a job application,” police said. “She also conducted an informal interview with him on that date. When asked if Mr. Louis would be expecting a callback for a formal interview, she stated no,” the report continued. 
Police also questioned the timeline, saying security footage showed Louis leaving the West Bank Inn three hours before his children were observed alone at the McDonald’s.
“Based on the video evidence and the timeline provided by all parties involved, it was determined that Mr. Louis was not engaged in a job interview or application process during the time the children were left unattended,” the sheriff’s office reportedly said. “Furthermore, by his own admission, he was walking between McDonald’s and [an apartment complex] on foot during that period.”
The misdemeanor charge of deprivation of a minor &#8220;was appropriate to ensure the welfare of the children and facilitate a review of the matter by the court,&#8221; Whitehead concluded.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown started a GoFundMe to help Louis&#8217; cause.
“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc,” Brown wrote on GoFundMe, which is titled “Pursuit of Happiness.” 
As of Friday morning, the campaign had raised more than $83,000.

McDonald’s

Police Say Man Who Left Kids Alone At McDonald’s Wasn’t Really At A Job Interview

Police Says Man Who Left Kids Alone At McDonald's Wasn't Really At A Job Interview

Crime

Parenting

Police

Social media users are divided over the story of a young Georgia father who left his three children unattended at a McDonald’s restaurant playground so he could go to a job interview.
Chris Louis, 24, was arrested after leaving the children, ages 1, 6, and 10, at the restaurant after walking them there from his apartment in Augusta just before 4:30 p.m. on March 22, per <a href="https://theaugustapress.com/augusta-man-jailed-for-leaving-kids-at-mcdonalds-while-job-hunting/">The Augusta Press</a>. A witness saw Louis leave the children, then return to check on them before leaving again. 
Law enforcement was dispatched to the location after receiving a call from a concerned customer. They were waiting for Louis when he returned to the McDonald’s again at 6:20 p.m. The father told police he didn’t want the children to walk back home alone while he had the job interview. Officers waited at the restaurant until the mother arrived and picked up the children.
Louis was arrested and charged with deprivation of a minor.
The story has inspired a lot of conversation online, with users arguing both sides of the situation. Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown put his support behind Louis and started a GoFundMe to help his cause.
“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc,” Brown wrote on <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-man-from-the-story-that-has-gone-viral">GoFundMe</a>, which is titled “Pursuit of Happiness.” 
As of Wednesday morning, the campaign has raised just over $40,000 of the $50,000 goal, with $1,000 of it coming from Brown.
“This man is a hero, not a villain,” one person <a href="https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1907162412660179112">said</a>. “He is trying to get a job to support his kids and he CORRECTLY assumes that a 10 year old can watch their siblings at McDonalds for a few minutes while he interviews for a job across the street. All charges should be dropped immediately.”
“He had a kid when he was fourteen and holds himself responsible for it. A ten year old can watch a sibling for a short amount of time. This is a wild overreaction on the part of [law enforcement],” another X user <a href="https://x.com/bethanyshondark/status/1906859867085684738">agreed</a>. 
“If the kids were fine, he should be left alone to try and do his best. All that has happened here is they&#8217;ve turned someone that was working to be a productive member of society into someone forced to be a non-productive member of society. I have respect for this man for doing his best to better his situation, and all the police did was destroy it,” a third <a href="https://x.com/karldickey/status/1907098455815651697">agreed</a>.
Some users were skeptical that Louis was actually attending a job interview and questioned why he didn’t get a babysitter.
“Nah! I call BS. Did you read the article? It states that he was seen leaving and returning to McDonald’s multiple times,” one person <a href="https://x.com/LStark711/status/1907193116798693656">observed</a>. “If he was waiting for his turn to be interviewed and was uncertain about how many other applicants were ahead of him or how long it would take, why not have the 10-year-old entertain the younger children safely in the apartment during the interview? It makes no sense to take them to McDonald’s, leave them there, return, and repeat. Something about this scenario seems off.”
Many locals also noted that the location of that McDonald’s was not in a safe part of town.
“McDonald&#8217;s in Augusta is not a safe place for little kids unsupervised,” an X user <a href="https://x.com/MattDeluccia/status/1907171199341207966">said</a>. “Maybe it was 30-40 years ago, but definitely not today. I don’t think he should have been arrested though. I think a warning would have sufficed. Hope he got the job if he’s got 3 little kids.”
“There’s a huge difference between having a 10 yr old watch kids at your house for an hour and leaving them at a McD’s in a busy city,” another person <a href="https://x.com/544pibble/status/1907113606585385225">wrote</a>. “Hard no. I get that he’s trying. While I respect that, as an employer I’d say his judgment is questionable.”

Controversy Erupts Over 24-Year-Old Dad Who Left Kids At McDonald’s During Job Interview

Controversy Erupts Over 24-Year-Old Dad Who Left Kids At McDonald's During Job Interview

General

United States

The Justice Department is dropping a Biden-era challenge to a Georgia election integrity law passed in the aftermath of the 2020 election, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Monday.
Bondi said that her department would no longer seek to block Georgia from enforcing SB 202, a Republican-backed measure that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgias-election-integrity-act-everything-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tightened </a>absentee voting requirements. After the implementation of the law, the Biden administration sued to block it from taking effect, alleging that it targeted black voters.
“Contrary to the Biden Administration’s false claims of suppression, black voter turnout actually increased under SB 202,” Bondi said. “Georgians deserve secure elections, not fabricated claims of false voter suppression meant to divide us. Americans can be confident that this Department of Justice will protect their vote and never play politics with election integrity.” 
The law, passed in March 2021, mandated a voter ID requirement for absentee voting, required election workers not to stop counting the votes after they’ve begun, and limited the availability of ballot drop boxes to only inside early voting locations during business hours. 
At the time, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/democrats-excoriate-new-voting-restrictions-georgia-make-it-illegal-give-n1262181" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decried</a> the law, calling it “Jim Crow in the 21st Century” and “a blatant attack on the Constitution.”
The law induced corporate backlash from companies like Coca-Cola and Delta. It even prompted Major League Baseball to yank the All-Star Game from Atlanta, costing the state tens of millions of dollars. 
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that the decision from the Justice Department was a win for Georgia voters.
&#8220;This reaffirms that the Election Integrity Act stands on solid legal ground,&#8221; he said Monday. &#8220;Our commitment has always been to ensure fair and secure elections for every Georgian, despite losing an All-Star game and the left’s boycott of Georgia as a result of commonsense election law.&#8221;​
Raffensperger also asked for the release of any documents showing coordination between Biden&#8217;s DOJ and outside groups on the case.
While many Democrats claimed that the law would depress voter turnout, Georgia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dems-compared-georgia-election-law-to-jim-crow-the-state-just-broke-its-early-voting-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saw</a> record day one early vote turnout in 2024 when there were 328,000 ballots cast, a substantial increase from the previous 2020 record of 136,000.
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley praised the DOJ for dismissing the case. 
“This is a victory for election integrity and a defeat for every Democrat who lied about Georgia’s election law,” he said. “The RNC has been proudly fighting to defend SB202 ever since it was passed, which is why we intervened as soon as the Biden Justice Department filed this lawsuit. States like Georgia should be praised, not punished, for making their elections more secure.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

‘Victory For Election Integrity’: DOJ Ending Biden-Era Suit Against Georgia

2020 Election

Biden Administration

Brad Raffensperger

Courts

Department of Justice

Voting

A non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), has filed a complaint against Georgia Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff, accusing him of violating Senate ethics rules by directly linking official action to a request for campaign contributions.
FACT sent a<a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_c14ec0e53bc2448e9a98a4a0e4c00122.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> letter</a> to Ethics Committee Chairman Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice-Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) in which they stated:
<blockquote>
On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Following several statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request for a campaign contribution: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.” 
</blockquote>
“Senate Ethics Rules specifically prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity,” the letter continued. &#8220;By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions, a Senator violates a ‘basic principle&#8217; of Senate Ethics that guards against conflicts of interest.”
“Voting on legislation is one of the primary jobs of a Senator, which simply cannot be tied to campaign fundraising. The ethics rules forbid certain practices in campaign fundraising, and linking it to official action is one that is simply not allowed–and for good reason. This fundraising tactic dangerously incentivizes Senators to take official action based on their estimation of what will raise the most campaign funds. Senators, who are nearly always raising campaign funds, will be rightly seen as making important official decisions based on what will bring in the most money—not on the merits of an issue,” said Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT.
Ossoff won his seat in the Senate in 2021 in a run-off election after GOP candidate David Perdue defeated him in the November 2020 general election but narrowly missed getting 50% of the vote. His victory in the run-off election, along with Raphael Warnock’s win in another run-off, gave Georgia two Democratic U.S. senators and gave the Democrats a majority in the Senate. Ossoff is up for re-election in 2026, and there’s a good chance he will be opposed by Georgia’s enormously popular GOP governor, Brian Kemp.

Democratic Congressional Candidate In Georgia’s Special Election Jon Ossoff Campaigns In Georgia

Non-Partisan Watchdog Group Files Complaint Against Ossoff, Says He Violated Senate Ethics Rules

Ethics

Senate

Competing in the judo competition at the European Open in Warsaw, an Israeli judoka defeated his Muslim opponent, who refused to shake his hand. Undaunted, the Israeli then raised his hand in the victory gesture popularized by returned hostage Emily Damari.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Israeli Judo athlete Yosef Simin won his match. But his MusIim opponent refused to shake his hand. 
So Yosef marked his win with Emily Damari’s victory symbol. 🤟
King.
🎥Israel Hayom <a href="https://t.co/I0MrB7ENaG">pic.twitter.com/I0MrB7ENaG</a>
&mdash; dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) <a href="https://twitter.com/DahliaKurtz/status/1893803011132019093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After his Muslim opponent refused to shake his hand, Israeli judoka Joseph Simin makes hostage Emily Damari’s gesture of freedom. 🤟
What a Champ! <a href="https://t.co/TxpuVW7Qp5">pic.twitter.com/TxpuVW7Qp5</a>
&mdash; Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeldickson/status/1894000155696783575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Yosef Simin, who won the silver medal, defeated Islam Tsintsalashvili of Georgia in the round of 16. When Tsitsalashvili later refused to shake his hand, Simin responded by raising his hand in the symbol of the hostages, inspired by Damari.
Damari, taken hostage during the October 7, 2023 massacre in which the terrorist group Hamas slaughtered more than 1220 Israeli men, women, and children, spent 471 days held as a hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza before being released in January. She lost the third and fourth fingers on her left hand when Hamas shot her during the kidnapping, thus permitting her to hold up only her thumb, index finger, and little finger to wave after she was freed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you to everyone in the UK and around the world who supported the campaign to bring Emily home, and for all your messages here on X. You are amazing and we love you all 🤟
94 hostages still need us🎗️💛 <a href="https://t.co/nuRVj6n8tt">pic.twitter.com/nuRVj6n8tt</a>
&mdash; Mandy Damari 🎗🤟 (@DamariMandy) <a href="https://twitter.com/DamariMandy/status/1881749983143350436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
“Supporters had added bandages to the ‘rock on’ emoji, which uses the same configuration of fingers, to transform Damari’s injury into a symbol of defiance,” The Jewish News <a href="https://www.thejewishnews.com/jewish-telegraphic-agency/released-hostage-emily-damari-s-injured-hand-becomes-an-instant-symbol-of-israeli-defiance/article_4e15cdb6-d9a2-11ef-adbb-b3a0e1ac5475.html#:~:text=Damari's%20injury%20turned%20her%20hand,her%20and%20took%20her%20hostage." target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. “Others adapted Damari’s gesture as well. A drawing of Damari’s hands demonstrating the Jewish priestly blessing circulated online, with words from the biblical benediction: ‘May God bless you and keep you.’ The drawing was attributed to Moshe Shapira, a Jerusalem artist and architect, whose son Aner was killed on Oct. 7 after saving the lives of others.”
In 2017, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam judo tournament, Israeli judoka Shir Rishoni won her match against her Moroccan opponent, Aziza Chakir, but when Rishoni approached Chakir to offer the typical handshake after the match, Chakir reacted with a hilarious display of moral cowardice: she <a href="https://israel365news.com/319449/two-judo-bronze-medals-israel-still-no-flag-sight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ran away.</a>
Israeli judo competitors have been snubbed not only by their opponents, who refuse to acknowledge their victories but also by the International Judo Federation itself, which refused to fly the Israel flag when Israeli athletes won any medal and <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-wins-gold-at-abu-dhabi-judo-tourney-which-refuses-to-play-the-anthem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused to play</a> the Israeli national anthem when Israeli judo champion Tal Flicker won the gold, prompting him to sing the Israel national anthem while the theme of the International Judo Federation was played.

Mother Of British Hostage Being Held By Hamas Speaks To The Press

Muslim Judoka Refuses To Shake Israeli Opponent’s Hand After Loss. Israeli Has Perfect Response.

Muslim Judoka Refuses To Shake Israeli Opponent's Hand After Loss. Israeli Has Perfect Response.

Hamas

Israel

Judo

October 7

World

A prominent ethics watchdog has filed an IRS complaint against two organizations affiliated with failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, The Daily Wire has learned.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a nonprofit that promotes ethics and transparency in government, filed the complaint against the New Georgia Project (NGP) and its lobbying arm, the New Georgia Project Action Fund (NGPAF). Abrams founded NGP, which was meant to register new voters, in 2013, when she was still in the Georgia House of Representatives.
Abrams left the organization in 2017, leaving it to Raphael Warnock, who left when he was elected to the United States Senate.
Because of its 501(c)(3) status, NGP is “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office,” <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/restriction-of-political-campaign-intervention-by-section-501c3-tax-exempt-organizations#:~:text=Under%2520the%2520Internal%2520Revenue%2520Code,candidate%2520for%2520elective%2520public%2520office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the IRS</a>. The NGPAF, as a 501(c)(4), must not engage in political activity as its primary activity and must be “operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare,” which it can do by “promoting in some way the common good and general welfare of the people of the community,” according to IRS statute.
&#8220;Federal law is very clear and strict in that when an organization receives the benefits of nonprofit status, those running it are absolutely prohibited from using it as a political campaign organization,&#8221; said FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold. &#8220;This is a straightforward case because the nonprofits admitted to raising and spending millions of dollars for campaigns.&#8221;
FACT wrote in its complaint letter to the outgoing IRS commissioner that a recent case before the Georgia State Ethics Commission established that NGP and its lobbying arm engaged in campaign activity on behalf of Abrams during her failed 2018 gubernatorial bid, as well as other candidates.
“[A]dvocating for Representative Stacey Abrams’ election for Governor of the State of Georgia during the primary and general election, also with Sarah Riggs-Amico, John Barrow, and Charlie Bailey and other state wide candidates for public office during the general election,” case documents say, according to FACT. “These expenditures included, but were not limited to canvassing activities, literature expressly advocating for the election of candidates, social media engagement, and operating field offices with paid staff where those electioneering activities were organized.”
The Georgia State Ethics Commission found that NGP and NGPAF violated multiple state laws, and the organizations admitted to these violations. The committee found that the organizations failed to disclose more than $4 million in campaign contributions and another $3 million in expenditures during the 2018 election cycle.
The organizations agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for those violations, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/nonprofit-founded-stacey-abrams-pay-record-georgia-fine-violating-stat-rcna187885" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in mid-January.
Following the fine, dozens of people have been laid off from the organizations, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/stacey-abrams-founded-voter-activist-group-hit-mass-layoffs-after-record-breaking-ethics-fine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Now, FACT wants an IRS investigation into the organizations.
“The illegal nature of this extensive activity also demonstrates that New Georgia Project Action Fund’s primary purpose was political activity,” the organization wrote in its complaint. “As established in the State Ethics case, the groups are not acting in accordance with federal law and we respectfully request the IRS investigate this matter fully and, if appropriate, revoke the organizations’ status as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) and (4) organizations and impose financial penalties.”
NGP did not immediately respond to a Daily Wire inquiry.
<h3><a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/FACT-letter.pdf">READ THE FULL FACT LETTER HERE</a></h3>

Stacey Abrams

EXCLUSIVE: Ethics Watchdog Files IRS Complaint Against Stacey Abrams’ Nonprofits

EXCLUSIVE: Ethics Watchdog Files IRS Complaint Against Stacey Abrams’ Nonprofit Organizations

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